


Shackled

by Mythicaldemigod



Series: Whumptober 2020 [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Merlin forgets how to use magic, Probably ooc, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:55:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26753902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mythicaldemigod/pseuds/Mythicaldemigod
Summary: Day 1: ShackledMerlin doesn't remember how long he's been here, he doesn't even remember why he's here anymore. He needs a little hope to spark hi magic again.
Series: Whumptober 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948627
Kudos: 32





	Shackled

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time attempting a prompt list, so I guess we'll see how this goes. I'm planning on doing every day but we'll see.

“Merlin. Merlin.”

A voice cut through the typically mundane surroundings. He had no idea how long he’d been trapped here by _her._ He didn’t even know how she’d managed to get a hold of him so easily, but here he was shackled in some dingy makeshift prison she’d made for him. Nobody was looking for him, Arthur would find a new manservant, Gwen would eventually give up trying to convince him and the knights would too.

“Merlin!”

There was that voice again. It wasn’t hers; it was much to deep and masculine. He was too exhausted to stand up and figure out where it was coming from. Probably from the little window, that was the only thing here besides the pile of mouldy food meant for him. He looked up at the window. He hadn’t spoke in so long. Part of him wanted the voice to go away, leave him be. If he was going to die in this prison, he wanted to die alone, in peace.

“Merlin! Are you there?”

“Here.”

He spoke, nothing more than a whisper. He was so quiet, like a ghost. But he was here. He was here. He didn’t know why, but this pit in his stomach that was starting to grow told him it was important for him to let whoever it was know that he was here. Wherever here was.

“Did you hear that?”

A different male voice. Merlin unravelled himself from his ball formation in the corner and tried to stand. It was hard, he hadn’t stood in a while. He hadn’t needed to, the room was too small to walk in and the longer time he spent here, the weaker he felt. His shackles prevented him from going too far in any direction anyway.

His feet hurt already; he shakily began to cross the room to the window. He couldn’t make it all the way, but if he leaned forward just a bit, he could grab the bars. Maybe that was all these strange visitors would need. It could be a trick, he told himself. She’d tricked him like this before, conjured images of Arthur and the knights rescuing him, only to show up and remind him that he could not escape this. But he was desperate. He needed this.

He stretched himself as far as he could, grabbing the bars. The shackles pulled at his ankles and he knew there was going to be some nasty marks there when, or if, they ever came off.

“He’s there. You’re going to have to move your hands, Merlin. We’re coming in.”

He wanted to protest; they couldn’t come in here. But he was already too tired from holding onto the bars, from walking. He released the bars and fell back, forcefully knocking himself into the wall. He groaned, closing his eyes.

When he opened them again, the bars were gone, he hadn’t even seen them be removed, or heard them. But he didn’t see or hear a lot of things these days. How he missed being a castle servant, as ironic as that sounded. At least in the castle he could walk without his ankles being shackled.

“Merlin!” Watching Sir Gwaine slip through the tiny window, would have been funny had it not been for the circumstances. He had discarded his armor so he would be able to fit his scrawny frame through.

Merlin wanted to greet him, to say something witty or funny, but nothing about this was funny.

“We need to go, quickly.” Gwaine told him, glancing around nervously. He wondered who else was outside that window, waiting for him. He scrambled to his feet.

“Gwaine. You need to get rid of the shackles.” He pointed to his ankles, his friend’s eyes fell to look at what he was talking about and sucked in a deep breath. Merlin knew before he even said anything that he couldn’t do it, even though he wanted to. He didn’t have the tools for it.

“Let me talk to the others. We’ll figure something out. Hold on.”

He watched his friend crawl back the way he came, the feeling in his stomach growing more now. He had the chance to get out, be free, but he needed to get rid of these shackles. That much he knew. None of the knights would be able to do it, only he could.

He closed his eyes, holding his hand out. It’d been a long time since he’d tried to do magic. He had never seen the point before, it was pointless. She would find him, she always did.

‘Come on, Merlin. There has to be some magic left in you.’

His body tingled and warmth spread throughout him, it was weak, but it was there. He couldn’t remember if magic had always felt like this or if this was something new that had recently begun. He concentrated. He could see the shackles and imagined himself being free.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and all at once, they were gone. Not gone completely, but he was no longer held by their grasp. He turned to look at them. They looked like the hands of some ghastly creature from the wall that had been holding him steady all this time, keeping him from leaving.

He turned to the window, his way out. Freedom was just within his grasp. He didn’t look back at the dingy cell wall as he climbed the wall, adrenaline pumping through his body. There would be plenty of time to think about all of this later, but he needed to get out. As he pushed himself out, hands grabbed his and began tugging, helping him.

It didn’t take long; he was skinnier than he used to be which was saying something as he’d never been that big to begin with. He fell to the ground and laid there, staring up at the sky. It was nighttime, but the light of the stars and the moon were there. It was peaceful.

“His ankles are all messed up… he can’t walk… it’s a miracle he even managed to get himself out here.” A voice muttered. He felt hands touch his ankles and he let out a breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding.

“I’ve got him, he’ll ride with me. Just keep your eyes out for anything the Lady Morgana might throw at us, I don’t like how easy this has been…” Another voice spoke uneasily.

That was her name. Morgana. He’d somehow forgotten it, even though he saw her almost all the time. Something had clouded his memory, shielded him from thoughts about her. In the few fleeting moments he did have alone, he’d always thought about Camelot, the knights, King Arthur, Gwen… things he had thought were just distant memories, dreams he’d never see again.

He sat up, looking around. It was dark but in the light from the moon and stars, he could recognize some of the faces that were around him, discussing him as if he weren’t even in the room. They were right, of course, Lady Morgana would never have given him up so easily. She probably had a plan of some kind, somehow. He shivered.

“Come on, let’s go. No sense waiting here for her to find us.” Firm hands underneath his armpits and he was hoisted up. “Jeez, Merlin. Have you eaten anything since we saw you last?”

Merlin chuckled weakly. “It’s not your job to look after me, clotpole.”

“If you weren’t half dead, I would drop you here and leave you for Morgana, you know.”

The two laughed. Arthur would never do that; they both knew that. They slowly made their way to where the knights had left their horses. Arthur helped him up onto his horse, following suit. Merlin turned to look at his prison as the horses turned in the direction of Camelot.

“I’m not out of the woods yet.” He mumbled and Arthur hummed in agreement behind him. Somehow, they both knew, this wasn’t the end of whatever was going on here.

“You’re safe now, Merlin. Focus on that. We’ll worry about everything else when it comes, like we always do.”


End file.
